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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 120 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  2. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  3. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  4. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  5. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  6. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  7. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  8. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  9. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  10. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  11. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  12. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  13. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  14. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  15. False peace will not ________________.
  16. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  17. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  18. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  19. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  20. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  21. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  22. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  23. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  24. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. field — a subject
  2. kid — to tease
  3. present — there
  4. field — for sport
  5. present — a gift
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. foot — a measure
  8. present — the time now
  9. safe — a strongbox
  10. kid — child
  11. last — finally
  12. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  13. field — farmland
  14. lie — to recline
  15. last — to go on
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. rock — to move gently
  19. rock — a stone
  20. foot — part of the body
  21. foot — the bottom
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. last — final
  24. rock — music

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com